Featured News

Nonprofit Standards, A Benchmarking Survey

June 2018

In its second year, Nonprofit Standards includes more precise drilldowns by annual revenue to narrow the peer groups for more meaningful comparisons. While intended to provide a valuable baseline analysis for organizations of all sizes and types, it would be impossible to capture the variety and diversity of the entire nonprofit sector. For the purposes of this survey, nonprofits are categorized in three groups according to their annual revenues:

Midrange organizations: Annual revenues under $25 million

Upper-midrange organizations: Annual revenues between $25 million and $75 million

Large organizations: Annual revenues of $76 million or greater

More than a century of experience working with nonprofits has given BDO a unique window into the change-making work of the diverse nonprofit sector. Our clients regularly tap into that knowledge base. One of the most frequent questions we hear is, “How does my organization compare with my peers?”

The BDO Institute for Nonprofit ExcellenceSM annual benchmarking survey, Nonprofit Standards, offers an answer to that persistent question and provides leaders with actionable insights to drive their nonprofits forward. The survey is designed to give nonprofits a useful barometer to measure performance across a variety of areas, including strategic planning, human resources, operations, scope and impact, and governance matters.

No two nonprofits are the same—every organization is shaped by its unique history, mission, size, goals, and community—but the sector shares a unifying commonality. Whether we’re working with a CFO of a health and human services organization, an Executive Director of a museum, or the CIO of a private foundation, the people powering the world’s nonprofits share a common drive: advancing their organization’s mission.

Insight into peers’ metrics and practices is an important resource to help accomplish that goal. We hope this benchmarking survey informs conversations among nonprofit leadership teams and boards about bridging financial gaps and updating policies to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.

About the Survey

Nonprofit Standards is a national benchmarking survey of 100 nonprofit organizations across a variety of sectors, including health and human services, higher education, public charities, and private and community foundations. The survey was fielded by Market Measurement, a market research consulting firm.